On April 5th, in northern Hama, government forces, led by the Syrian Army’s Tiger Forces, launched a surprise attack to retake from militants the important town of Helfaya. Government troops entered the town but were pushed to retreat. However, the army and its allies were able to capture the nearby village of Al-Batish and the al-Batish hill.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted in the town of Maardas which the Syrian Army had lost to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies earlier this week. Government troops attempted to retake the town from HTS-led forces but were not able to do this quickly. The fighting is still ongoing in the area.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, threatened that the United States will take it’s “own” action if the UN Security Council fails to act on an alleged chemical attack in the village of Khan Sheikhoun in the province of Idlib. “When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action,” Haley said during her speech that included images of children as proof of the need for swift action.

Haley emphasized that “The truth is that Russia, Iran, and Assad have no interest in peace,” pushing the idea that to her, Damascus was clearly responsible, as a matter of fact -without any investigation.

Separately, US President Donald Trump said the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria “cannot be tolerated” and also blamed the incident on the Syrian government. However, he didn’t clarify what kind of response to this he was preparing.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow will continue to support government forces in their anti-terrorism efforts across the country despite allegations.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that the Security Council should urge the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to launch a fact-finding mission, provided that full access to the incident site is allowed.

Summing up the events in few sentences, the whole story pushed to the public looks next way: The bloody Assad regime took back Aleppo city and wide areas in its countryside, the Western Ghouta region, the Wadi Barada region, once again recaptured Palmyra from ISIS, and repelled a powerful rebel advance in northern Hama. The US even declared that the toppling of Assad was no longer the main priority in Syria. Then, the military leadership of the regime decided that was not enough and ordered a Su-22 warplane to use chemical weapons against people in Khan Sheikhoun. Some kind of small Soviet unguided rockets hit a road in the village and inflicted mass poisoning of civilians in the nearby areas. Fortunately, members of the Syrian Civil Defense and local journalists nearby were equipped with dust respirators. They filmed the incident and saved some people.

The United States and other powers supporting rebels in Idlib looked at this and were pushed to change their strategy once again. Now they are increasing their efforts aimed at supporting members of the “moderate opposition” and even considering some kind of direct action against the regime.

The terrorists in Syria cannot win by chemicals weapon attacks that smuggled from Turkey and Israel. I think they will fail again but those innocent people died for what purpose.

Kell

Mmm Trump risks loosing Bannan and support of Alt-Right if he continues down this track, the emotional nutcase Nikki Haily needs to go to a Gulag.

Solomon Krupacek

trump does not need them anymore. he will not candidate second time.

Attrition47

Trump led a faction of billionaire outsiders who were fed up being condescended to by the hereditary insiders. As soon as the hereditaries let them inside the charmed circle, Trump’s insurgency will have served its purpose and US head-chopping, heart-eating and raping can resume.

Gabriel Hollows

He already kicked Bannon out of the NSC. Trump is compromised.

EL ZORRO

“When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action,” Haley said during her speech that included images of children as proof of the need for swift action”…Let’s see, in 1898 the U.S BLOW UP the Maine in the Havana arbor AS EXCUSE to enter in the Spanish American war and turn Cuba into their COLONY occupying the GUANTANAMO BAY AREA, which Cuba is demanding the RETURN RIGHT NOW, in late 19th century, US Marines attacked the peaceful country of Hawaii, claiming that they were attacking American ships. 1917 an English ship sank a commercial ship killing over 2000 civilians, most of which were children. Both England and the US claimed it was done by a German Uboat, which got us into WWI. 1964 President Johnson claimed the North Vietnamese captured our spy ship in international waters getting us into Vietnam. It was revealed in 2004 that it had all been a lie to get us into the conflict. George Bush Sept. after the 9/11 attacked claimed that Saddam Hussain had WMD’s, Weapons of Mass Destruction, attacking Iraq instead of those guilty. We have now been at war for 13 years. Did Syria drop gas on civilian? a resounding NO. I don’t want our country to be in another FABRICATED war…Making America great again does NOT include another FABRICATE EXCUSE FOR GOING TO WAR FOR THE ZIONIST INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL BANKING, so that they can run their OIL/GAS pipe line from Saudi Arabia/Qatar throwout Syria to the Mediterranean and EXPAND THE ZIONIST ISRAEL TERRITORY INTO A GREATER ISRAEL.

gustavo

Totally in according with ZORRO, a question here is…. will Russia allow USA to do whatever wants to do ? or will they stop USA-OTAN-Israel for good ?

jim crowland

Unilateral? The western democracies have more right to punish a mass murderer than the Russian and Iranian dictatorships to kill civilians!!

Marcus

Western what! Do you mean the same “Western” that destroyed Yugoslavia, Irak(even though supplied Saddam with chemical weapons to kill Kurdish civilians), Yemen, Libya, destabilized Ukraine, support TERRORISTS, supports the outlawed Israel, etc, etc, big moral authority from those “democracies”!.

Rodney Loder

Trump triumphs 50 tomahawk’s fired from US Ship hitting target Syrian Airbase, in line with Philippines Present moving to challenge China militarily over the South China Sea, looks like a premeditated aggression with false flag in Syria as the signal, deendscifvRussoa China and Iran want to throw the towel in and everyone lives in awe of Trump, that’s what many honestly believe will happen, personally I think if they do this Japan will double their currency again with another round of Quantitative easing and remilitarise, but we all got to look after ourselves, that’s all the US are doing, the wealthy ones that is. I’m Salafist let Alan decide, if God is not outcome my idealism has that base covered, but I can’t be here to witness it, only in death do we live.

Douglas Houck

Based on what has happened, everyone should take a deep breath. President Trump did what he felt he had to, without telling anyone take military action. Otherwise he was going to lose his base and see Hilary come back.

So far he launched 59 cruise missiles after telling the Russians (and therefore the Syrians), with few to no causualties as all the missiles hit in the same spot. He was not trying to inflict much actual damage. Mostly symbolic.

It’s too early in the game to see where this is heading.

What is needed is the UN resolution for inspections. Not sure why the Russians were opposed to the US demand for the Syrian’s flight logs. Any and all information needs to be brought to the table. If President Al Assad used chemical weapons he should answer to the crime as it means he is insane (highly unlikely). Besides an on ground inspection of the poisoning, the flight information from the US, Russians, and the Syrians should be looked at. Was a plane in the area just before 7AM?

lquadland10

This is not what the vets and American People voted Trump in for. News media lied about the event of Assad and blood again in on the press hands. Your silence of the truth is your consent. That being said. When Chemicals you all reported and showed pictures of were real then there would have been burns all over their bodies. The children could not have been carried because then chemicals used would have transferred to the people carrying them. Dust respirators would not have protected them if it was real. So. Karma is going to find each and every one of you and remember it get amplified with the return of what you give. In this case lies and dearth. http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-cia-pentagon-isis-20160327-story.html